A New Customs Union And Close Relationship With The Single Market Are Vital For A Jobs-First Brexit

Last week, Jeremy Corbyn announced that a Labour government would seek to conclude a new customs agreement with the European Union that would allow for trade to continue between the UK and the EU on more or less the same terms, would largely address question marks over the Northern Irish border and would give the UK a say on future trade deals.

The UK’s trade with the EU accounts for 44% of our total exports (£229billion). A further 16% of our exports go to those 70 or so countries which are party to some form of a trade agreement with the EU including South Korea, Norway, and Switzerland. In short, the majority of our trade is with the EU and countries with whom the EU has a trade agreement.